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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – The United States Tennis Association (USTA) today announced its new revolutionary youth brand, “Net Generation,” which aims to inspire the next generation of tennis players. For the first time, American tennis will have one unified youth brand for children to get into the sport. Net Generation will make it easier for kids and their parents to learn about tennis and get into the game in schools, parks and tennis clubs across the country. The movement embraces all aspects of youth play for kids ages 5-18. The official Net Generation launch will take place at Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day on August 26.

“Net Generation is a bold approach to empower kids to play the game while elevating and setting new standards on how we deliver and engage children in our sport,” said Craig Morris, General Manager, USTA Community Tennis and Youth Tennis. “These efforts will make a lasting impact to help drive youth participation throughout the country. There is no bigger and better stage than the US Open to launch the brand.”

The objective of Net Generation is to provide a kid-friendly, safe connection to the sport, as well as a platform to celebrate individuality and self-expression. To ensure a safe environment, all Net Generation providers, including coaches, teachers, players and volunteers, must first go through a Safe Play Program, which involves a three-step process—including a background check—by registering on NetGeneration.com. With the USTA’s focus on childhood safety, this system will be the first-of-its-kind in the sports landscape to require all providers to submit to a comprehensive screening and education program.

“It is essential to implement the best infrastructure and environment for the current and future generation of kids,” said Katrina Adams, USTA Chairman of the Board, CEO and President. “Net Generation will help further our commitment to encourage healthy lifestyles and bring more children into the game by reaching kids and parents in a dynamic and easier way than ever before.”

In addition to the official launch at Arthur Ashe Kids Day Powered by Net Generation, the brand will have a significant presence leading up to and at this years’ US Open. Net Generation will be integrated in the following ways:

The USTA has a longstanding commitment to encouraging healthy and active lifestyles among children. Over the last decade, youth tennis has brought hundreds of thousands of kids into the sport by using shorter courts, lower-bouncing balls, and lighter racquets to allow them to play more quickly and easily. To further evolve these efforts, the USTA will be working closely with schools and school districts by providing equipment, trainings and resources for teachers. The USTA has developed a new schools tennis curriculum and will encourage schools to have a community partner to help kids find a tennis facility to play after school in partnership with SHAPE America.

Furthermore, Net Generation will activate throughout all competitive levels including youth tennis, team tennis and junior competition. By setting new standards and collaborating with programs across the board, these efforts will help unite the tennis industry by sharing the same mission to get more kids playing tennis.

For more information, please visit NetGeneration.com.

The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with more than 715,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, the highest-attended annual sporting event in the world, and launched the US Open Series, linking seven summer WTA and ATP World Tour tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns approximately 90 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S. and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships in addition to supporting tennis and education programs nationwide to benefit under-resourced youth through the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com, “like” the official Facebook page, facebook.com/usta, or follow @usta on Twitter.